EF – the Education Sponsor for PyeongChang 2018

On November 5th, 2015, EF Education First (EF) has partnered with the PyeongChang Organizing Committee in becoming the Official Language Training Services Supplier for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

EF is an international education company based in Switzerland, specializing in language training, cultural exchange, educational travel, and providing academic degrees. The various language study programs provided in EF are all extensive and well known to many avid language learners around the world.

Not only are the language programs within EF noted for their excellence, EF has also long had partnerships with various Olympics organizing committees. In 1988, EF became the Official Language School for the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, in which many volunteers in Korea received free German and French training programs.

The partnership between Seoul 1988 and EF holds special significance as it is the first educational service partnership an Olympic organizing committee has ever signed on.

With the success of the free language-training program for Seoul 1988 Olympics, the partnership between the Olympics and EF continued in Beijing 2008 and Sochi 2014, where yet again, more local students, teachers as well as volunteers were provided free English training.

Rio 2016 and PyeongChang 2018 will be the next two Olympic Games holding hands with EF for their continued excellence. EF aims to provide “educational materials on Olympism to elementary, middle, high school, and university students, as well as teachers…”

The reputable title EF holds as an educational company cannot be underestimated. Not only should the continued success it has seen in various Olympic Games be noted, its collaboration has also helped it gain partnerships with other reputable organizations such as the United Nations Alliance of Civilization (UNAOC).

Ever since 2013, the two has created a joint summer camp called UNAOC-EF Summer Camp, selecting 100 students from all over the world to discuss various critical socio-economic matters.

With the continued success seen by EF, it will be interesting to see what kinds of educational programs EF will provide for the PyeongChang 2018. Such opportunity of free educational program is critical not only in shaping the success for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, but also in aiding the youths of Korea to gain access to high-quality language education.

This article was written by an official college student reporter of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games, WINNERS.
Some contents might be different from the official position of the Organizing Committee.